Buckle structure



Aug. 27, 1957 M. BISHAF BUCKLE: STRUCTURE Filed oct. 17. 1955 IIIIIIIII' figs.`

F. 2 a 2. 5 o4 4 f. 4. M am 2 H/ w u w /A//r/rl//Wb' 2,803,864 Patented Aug. 27, 1957 BUCKLE STRUCTURE Morris Bishaf, Skokie, Ill., assignor to Stein Bros. Mfg. Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application ctober 17, 1955, Serial No. 540,723

Claims. (Cl. 24-75) This invention relates to belt or strap connectors, and has particular application to buckles for safety belts and the like.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved safety belt and improved buckle means.

A further object is to provide a buckle structure having improved clincher or snubber means providing lengthadjustment of the associated belt or strap, which will have highly effective holding characteristics even with the belt stressed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the buckle, yet which may be easily operated to a retraction position permitting ready length-adjustment of the belt.

Another object is to provide a buckle structure having means for adjustment of the length of the associated belt or strap, which is of simple and economical construction with respect to both manufacture and assembly, and which is readily operable by a person with little or no instruction.

A further object is to provide a buckle structure having novel resilient means adapted to be compressed or loaded during buckle coupling and effective to provide a quick ejection or uncoupling when the wearer trips the means by which the buckle elements are latched.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention with regard to both a general and a specific improvement of connecting means for belts and straps, and particularly for safety belts, will be readily apparent from the following description of exemplary preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front elevational View of a safety belt embodying my invention, with portions being broken away for clarity of presentation; j

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of one of the c011- nectable coupling members shown in Fig. l;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the coupling member shown in Fig. 2, indicating the position of the parts when stress is applied to the associated belt or strap in a direction angularly offset from the longitudinal center line of the buckle;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the belt and buckle shown in Figure l, the view taken generally along the line IV-IV of Fig. l;

Figure 5 is a fragmental longitudinal cross section of the buckle taken generally along the line V--V of Fig. l, the full lines showing the latched position of the parts, and the chain lines showing the parts unlatched; and

Figure 6 is a fragmental longitudinal cross sectional view, similar to that of Fig. 5, but showing an alternative embodiment.

As shown on the drawings:

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. l, I have shown my invention as incorporated in a safety belt 10, one end portion 12 of which is fitted with a coupling member 14 and the other belt end portion 16 is fitted with a cooperating coupling member 18. As will now be de scribed, the coupling members 14 and 18 are adapted to be selectively coupled or uncoupled at the will of the wearer of the belt, and in the embodiment of Fig. l the coupling member 14 provides means for the adjustment of the length of the associated belt.

For providing the desired adjustabilty of the length of the belt portion 12 associated with the coupling member 14, it is comprised of a frame plate 20 and an associated snubber plate 22 respectively provided with transversely extending slots 24 and 26 adapted to receive the end portion 12 of the belt 10 and hold it at any position of length adjustment by a snubber or clincher action. Such action, and the manner of association of the belt end 12 with the frames 20 and 22, is best indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. As there shown, the belt end portion 12 is passed underneath the remote end of the coupling plate 20, then up through the aligned openings 24 and 26 of the two plates 20 and 22, over the end of the snubber plate 22 and back through the opening 24 of the plate 2t) and then under the end of the pla-te 20 to a position beyond the end of that plate.

By this arrangement, the transverse portions 20 and 2,2 of the plates 20 and 22 respectively lying outside the plate-slots 24 and 26 provide snubber or clincher bars for the buckle. Thus, tension in the main span 10 of the belt pulls outwardly on the snubber plate 22 to cause its transverse portion 22 to snub against the belt portion passing downwardly over its end. More specifically, it is the shoulder 2t!" defining the edge of opening 24 of plate 20, and the shoulder 22" provided by the outer edge of the snubber plate 22 which snub the belt and maintain its adjusted length.

Permitting the relative movement of the two plates 20 and 22 `to effect such a snubbing action, the plates are interconnected by means which accommodate relative longitudinal movement of the two coupling plates 20 and 22. As shown, such means comprises a pin 28 such as a rivet or the like headed over against the outer surfaces of the plates 20 and 22 and with the shank of the rivet longitudinally movable in a longitudinally extending opening 30 provided in one of the plates 20 and 22, here shown as the plate 20.

The connection provided by the rivet 28 permits not only relative reciprocation of the plates 20 and 22, but also provides a substantial relative angular movement of those plates. Thus, as shown in Fig.. 3, the overly ing plate 22 is adapted to freely pivot in response to pull of the belt 10 to provide a highly effective snubbing action even though stressed by an oblique or canted pull such as would be exerted by the band 10 pulling in a direction angularly offset from the longitudinal center line of the buckle or coupling 14. Thereby, even though the flexible strap member comprising the safety belt 10 may be of substantial thickness and transverse stiffness the pivoting of the frame member or plate 22 and the angular movement of the bar portion 22 thereof, accommodate opposite lateral displacement movements of the strap relative to the plate member 20 while nevertheless at all times during continuance of the relative opposite longitudinal pull on the strap and the plate member, even though the shoulders 20" and 22' are angularly relatively shifted and opposed by the action of the strap on the bar 22', strong snubbing action of the adjacent angularly `related portions of the shoulders 20" and 22 on the strap terminal portion 12 therebetween persists to prevent longitudinal relative displacement of the strap and the plate member. This is a particular advantage in the situation of safety belts and harness-like arrangements, which unilke ordinary trouser belts for example, often are required to sustain non-axial stresses such as by laterally-extending harness straps such as shoulder straps 32.

For separably connecting the coupling sections 14 and 3 18, the coupling 14 is provided with a tongue-like member 34 adapted to cooperate with a latch 36 carried by the other coupling part 18.

Asshown, the tongue 34 is provided as an integral extension of the frame-plate 20 adjacent its forward end, and the tongue 34 is provided along its lateral edges with a pair of aligned recesses 40. Those recesses 40 thus provided -by the coupling part 1'4" are adapted to receive movable members of a latch 36 carried by the coupling part 1'8, to effect the latched or coupled condition ofthe two coupling parts 14 and 18, as now will be described.

The `coupling member 18 -comprises a main body member such as a plate 42 having its lateral ends turned upwardl; to provide integral upstanding side walls 44. It is to those Walls 44 that the latch member 36 is connected. The latch member 36 desirably comprises a generally U'shaped metal stamping, including spaced leg portions 46 and a transversely extending intermediate bar 48 of a length sufficient to carry the legs 46 substantially as far apart as the walls 44 of the plate 42. The legs 46 are provided with aligned openings 50 which receive a transversely extending shaft 52 carried by the plate walls 44. Thus the latch member legs 46 are adapted to pivot with respect-to the plate walls 447 about the axis of the shaft 52, and legs are adapted to move into the latching position as shown in Figs. and 6, in which they take into or latchingly engage the recesses 4t) provided bythe coupling part 14. The latched position of the buckle is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.

Normally, the latch member 36 is biased into the latching position by resilient or yieldable biasing means such as a torsion spring S6 disposed about the shaft 52 and having one en-d portion 58' bearing against the cross bar 48 of the latch 36 for biasing the latch, about the axisof shaft 52, to urge the leg portions 46 toward the body plate 42. The opposite end 60 of the spring 56 is received and retained in an opening 61 provided in a lug or ear 62 upwardly struck fro-m the metal of the body plate 42.'

To automatically eifect a retraction of the latch 36 against the'bias of the spring 56 during assembly ofthe two coupling parts 14 and 16, the leading edge of the coupling part 14 is cammed or beveled as at 64. rl`hus, 'as the coupling parts are moved towards assembled position, the latch 36 is swung by the cam surface 64 upwardly (counterclockwise) to a retracted position while the front and end of the tongue 34' rides underneath that llat-ch 36 to a point at which the latch can drop down into the latched position with respect to the recesses 40,' as is shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

For clearing the upstandingspring anchorage ear or lug 62 inthe assembled relation of the coupling parts 14 and 16, the tongue 34 is provided with an elongated forwardly opening clearance slot 68. As shown, the lug 62 and the clearance slot 68 are desirably provided `at a transverselocation offset from the longitudinal center line ofthe buckle. This construction prevents space association of the two coupling parts except with the parts properly oriented. That is, it provides and assures that the wearer will not insert the tongue 34 into the coupling part 18`in yan over-turned :condition which would prevent proper latching engagement of the latch 36 into the recesse`s'40. In this connection, it should be noted that the forward (rearwardly facing) edge of the recess 40 is desirably not perpendicular to the plane of the plate l which provides that recess, but rather, is tapered as at 70 to provide a bearing surface generally concentric about the axis of rotation 52 of the latch 36 when the coupling parts 14 and 18 are assembled. l

Release of the latch 36, so that the buckle assembly maybefseparated, is effected by lever means herein comprising a manipulatable lever such as the plate 71. Plate 71L s-desirably formedl as a sheet metal stamping having its lateral edges downwardly turned to provide integral parallel longitudinally extendingk side-wall flanges 72 of 4 an outside dimension which enables free slidable reception thereof within the corresponding opstanding side Walls 44 of the base plate 42. Suitable apertures in the side flanges 72 journal the plate 71 pivotally on the shaft S2. For operatively interconnecting the manipulatable plate 71 to the latch 36, the proximal end portion of the plate 71 has a transverse downturned flange 74 which operatively engages a shoulder 75 provided on the legs 46 of the latch member 36. Thus, upward (counterclockwise as shown in dash outline in Figure 5) lifting of the pivot plate 71 acts through flange 74 and shoulder 75 to effect a like upward ('countenclockwise) movement of the latch member 36, thus effecting a position in which the two coupling parts 14 and 18 are free to be disassembled.

To provide that disassembly of the coupling parts 14 and 18 will be assured whenever the latched condition is no longer effected is particularly desirable in the instance of safety belts; for it is particularlyV desirable that Vthe wearer of a safety belt be never under a false illusionas to a suppose'dlatched condition of his buckle. ThusI provide means to forcibly `disconnect buckle members' 14 andi18` when the latchedv condition no longerV obtains. Towards that end, I provide aA resilient, co-mpressible means such as a spring 76 carried by the body plate 42 of theV coupling member 18 and adapted to be engaged by the tongue 34 to effectuatea stressed or loaded condition of the spring` 76 as the coupling elements 14 and 18 are forced into an assembled condition. l

As shown best in Fig. l, the spring 76 desirably includes opposite, transversely extending. leaves 78 respecf tively adapted to be engaged by the portions of the tongue 34 on opposite sides 'of the clearance slot 68 thereof. The leaves' 78 ofthe spring are desirably of the contiguration of symmetrically-disposed' narrow S-like shapes the ad-v jacent endsV of which are interconnected with' an outwardly facing bight portion 79.

The spring 76 is held to the body plate 42`of the coupling part 18 by a holding pin 80 or the like. Desirably, the

bight portion 79 of the spring 76 is so configured that the leaf-portions forming the legs of the bight 79 resiliently grip the shank of the pin 80. y

It will be observed that the pin 80 which carries the spring 76, as well as that spring 76, is transversely olfset in like manner as' are thev lugV 62 and tongue clearance slot 68 to assure proper Vorientation of the tongue 34, as has been explained above.

Alternative means for connection o'f the belt 10 to the coupling. member 18 are shown. In Figs. 1 and 4 such means includes a transverse slot 86 provided in the' base plate 42, with the end 16 of the strap 1t) beingV threaded through that slot 86 vand folded back upon itself and stitched as at 88. In this embodiment, the length of that portion 16 of the strap 1t) is notv adjustable, and lengthadjustment of the belt 10 is effected only by otherl means such as'that provided by the cooperating snubber plates 20y and 22'of the other coupling member 14.

Length adjustment of the strap end 16 may be effected, however, according to the embodiment shown in Fig'j6. As there shown, axedmember 90 extends across the plate 42A and is carried by the side walls 44. Cooperating with that fixed member 90 is a movable member 92- likewise extending v across and over the base plate 42 and carried by the walls 44,` but the movable member 92 is carriedgin longitudinally extended openings 94'provided in those wall-sV 44' and' hence is longitudinally movable with respect to those walls. Thus, in the embodiment of Fig. 6 thetbelt end-v 16 is pas-sed over both members 90 and 92, around and underneath the inner, movablerr'l'ern-I ber 92, then upward between those members 90' and'v 92 and over the fixed member 90'. Adjustment of the effective length of the strap 10 maybe thereby effected by manipulation of the end' 1-6. However, tension on the main spanofl the belt ltllwill pull"y on the movable member 92 and causeit to cooperate with the` fixed. member 92' to exertl a snubbing effect upon the belt endv 16 and maintain its position with respect to the couplingmember 18 fixed.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description of my invention, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, that the present invention provides a new and improved connecting means for a belt or a strap, having the desired advantages and characteristics, and accomplishing its intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention as described.

It will be understood that modification and variations may be eitected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A buckle structure comprising cooperating rst and second coupling members, the first of said coupling members having a tongue-like extension adapted to be releasably latchingly received by said second coupling member, said second coupling member comprising a rigid frame plate, a latching means carried by said rigid frame plate, spring means for biasing said latching means into latched position, a lug projecting from said rigid frame plate and adapted to retain a portion of said spring, said lug extending in the path of movement of said extension as it moves into latched position, said extension being provided with a forwardly opening clearance recess to accommodate passage of said extension past said lug, said lug and said slot being provided at a transverse location ottset from the longitudinal center line of the buckle to prevent space `association of said iirst and second coupling parts except with said parts properly oriented.

2. A buckle structure comprising cooperating first and second coupling members, the iirst of said coupling members having a tongue-like extension adapted to be releasably latchingly received by said second coupling member, said second coupling member comprising a rigid frame plate, a latching means carried by said rigid frame plate, spring means engageable by said extension before said extension has been brought into latched position and yieldable to store energy therein as an incident to continued movement of said extension into latched position, said spring means being carried by said rigid frame plate and including relatively non-yieldable means disposed in the path of movement of said extension as it moves into latched position, said extension being provided with a forwardly opening clearance recess to accommodate passage of said extension past said relatively non-yieldable means, said relatively non-yieldable means and said slot being provided at a transverse location offset from the longitudinal center line of the buckle to prevent space association of said first and second coupling parts except with said parts properly oriented.

3. In a buckle structure, a dat plate member having a tongue-like end portion engageable retainingly with a cooperating buckle member, the opposite end portion of the plate having therethrough a. transverse slot of substantial longitudinal width defined by a snubber shoulder of substantial length transversely of the plate and facing generally toward the tongue-like end portion, a ilat snubber frame slidably mounted on said plate member and having a transverse bar thereon substantially narrower than said slot and provided with a snubber shoulder generally opposing said slot shoulder, the principal portion of the frame overlying the plate member between said slot and said tongue-like end portion, means longitudinally centered on said portion of the snubber frame and longitudinally centered on the plate member between said slot and said tongue end portion connecting said frame to said plate member tor both longitudinal and relative pivotal movement and with said bar extending transversely of the plate member over said slot, said frame being freely pivotal for substantial angular movement of said bar over the slot whereby said bar shoulder is oppositely angularly opposable to the respective opposite end portions of the slot shoulder, and a ilexible strap member of substantial thickness and transverse stiffness looped at one end portion over said bar and extending through said slot at the opposite side from said frame with the free terminal part of said strap end portion interposed between said shoulders so that upon longitudinal opposite pull being exerted on the strap and on the plate said shoulders grip and snub the terminal strap portion therebetween, pivoting of said frame and said angular movement of the bar accommodating opposite lateral displacement movements of the strap relative to the plate member while nevertheless at all times during continuance of said relative opposite longitudinal pull on the strap and plate member, even though said shoulders are angularly relatively shifted and opposed by the `action of the strap on said bar, strong snubbing action of the adjacent angularly related portions of the shoulders on the strap terminal portion therebetween persists to prevent longitudinal relative displacement of the strap and the plate member.

4. A buckle structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said connecting means comprise a longitudinal slot in the plate member and a pin-like member secured to the snubber frame and extending through said slot.

5. A buckle structure as defined in claim 4, wherein said pin-like member has a head portion on the end thereof remote from said snubber frame and slidably engageable with the margin of the plate member defining said longitudinal slot and thereby serving to maintain the snubber frame and the plate member in assembled relation.

References @tred in the l[ile of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 73,633 Neuman Jan. 21,1868 1,055,008 Wright Mar. 4, 1913 1,651,134 King Nov. 29, 1927 1,827,357 Gavitt Oct. 13, 1931 1,997,653 Reiter Apr. 16, 1935 2,153,077 Clarke Apr. 4, 1939 2,292,553 Versoy Aug. 11, 1942 2,458,810 Varney et al. Jan. 11, 1949 2,486,561 Hodell Nov. 1, 1949 2,635,313 Levine Apr. 2l, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 257,433 Germany Mar. 5, 1913 642,376 France May 5, 1928 645,53() France June 27, 1928 660,973 France Feb. 26, 1929 218,779 Great Britain July 17, 1924 204,579 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1939 

